6
May
2020

March 4, 2020 Minutes

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CTAC Meeting Minutes March 4, 2020 —–FINAL

Attending members: 
Peaches Quinn – (New Haven) –  Acting Chair
George Alexander – (Hamden) – Treasurer
Yvonne Manning-Jones  – (New Haven) – Advisor
Laurel Coleman – (Hamden) – Advisor
Anthony Cardo – (Hamden) – Advisor
Johnes Ruta – (New Haven) – Acting Secretary

Jeff Weiss – public (New Haven resident)

Meeting called to order at 6:01 pm.

1. Minutes

  1. PQ request: Attach Laurel’s questions re annual report to March minutes . Minutes to be amended accordingly, then move to approve at May meeting.

    2.   Annual Report

    a. Peaches noted last page of several monthly minutes were somehow truncated in collating process.

Laurel made motion for PQ to make any remaining correction from Laurel’s list, re-collate report and resubmit to PURA. George seconded motion. Motion carries.

  1. Treasurer’s Report

  2. George stated current CTAC Fund balance is $9,178.67.
  3. George received bill for CTAC US Post Office Box for the period March 2020 to 2021 in the amount $254.00. George made motion to pay bill.   Anthony seconded. Motion approved.
  4. Provider Reports
  5. Comcast – None
  6. CTV – None

PQ circulates summary description of PURA Docket 20-01-34 (declaratory ruling) described in an email from [email protected] 1/15/20 which is believed to be a threat to the financing and existence of CTV. PQ made motion to apply vigor to invitations to Joe Schofield to attend the next CTAC meeting to describe further and comment. Anthony seconded this Motion. Vote unanimous to accept.

  1. 4. Old Business
  2. CTAC   PSA
    PSA taped today. All participated except Anthony Cardo who did not receive notification (Anthony still does not receive CTAC emails) and John. Laurel and will review tape when it is ready.

PQ made motion to do second tape before August (8/5) meeting. Yvonne seconded and motion carried. All agreed more rehearsal needed.

  1. CTAC Community Giving
  2. In the February meeting, George Alexander made a Motion, and Johnes seconded for a CTAC Grant of $2,000 to Partnerships Adult Day Care in Hamden and Hannah Gray Elder Residence in New Haven.   The Motion was suspended at that time in order to identify a senior day care or residence in West Haven. None found. PQ remade original motion. Johnes seconds. Re-motion carries. George will send out checks.

    6.   New Business

    a. CT Statewide Video Advisory

A CTAC member is needed to attend quarterly Statewide Advisory meetings per State Statute 16-331i. (a)There shall be a State Wide Advisory Council, whose membership is made up of one representative from each of the existing advisory councils established pursuant to section 16-331.

Motion to designate not raised. Meeting ran too late.

b. CTAC Community Giving – Target Vets

After much discussion motion made to have Anthony continue researching possible not for profit groups or organizations that serve Vets. Johnes seconded. Motion carries.

  1. Face Book

PQ motion made to create or update a FaceBook page for the CTAC. Motion amended to request Yvonne to followup, designate herself as an administrator and start updating the page. Johnes seconds. All agree.

 

  1. 7. Subscriber Correspondence
    Check received for a subscriber payment to Comcast.. George made motion for PQ to forward check to Sharon, Comcast rep, for processing. Motion seconded and approved.

    c. Complaint letter sent to CTAC from a district subscriber to Frontier. Motion made to enter letter into the March Minutes. Johnes seconds this Motion. Motion approved. Motion also made for PQ to contact Frontier to request direction for forwarding letter. Motion seconded and approved.

 

 

 

  1. Other
  2. Non Agenda Item – Jeff Weiss , New Haven Resident, Self Intro and Request

    Jeff Weiss was welcomed and allowed to address Council to describe his credentials and desire to be appointed rep to the Statewide Video Services Council. Clarification made that per State Statute 16-331i representation comes from each local advisory council. Jeff would have to be on CTAC to be designated.

Peaches makes a motion to adjourn the meeting. Yvonne seconded motion. Motion approved.

Next Meeting to be Wednesday, April 1st at offices of CTV at 6:00pm.

Meeting adjourned: 7:30 pm. March 4th, 2020 Minutes respectfully submitted by Johnes Ruta (New Haven)    Acting Secretary.   March th, 2020.

 

* Frontier subscriber’s Letter of Complaint, postmarked February 21, 2020.

Public Utilities Regulatory Agency

Complaint Department

Ten Franklin Square

New Britain, Ct. 06051

Tad Weinstein

New Haven Area Cable TV Advisory Council

P.O. Box 8415

New Haven, CT 06530

To Whom lt May Concern,

I am writing on behalf of my parents Ed & Lorrie Schaefer who both passed away last year.

I served as their caregiver during the last few years of their lives and managed all of their

matters.

My parents were subscribers to Frontier Communications.

I am writing regarding two separate issues with Frontier which demonstrate that Frontier is

poorly managed and has a terrible customer service department. Frontier Communications

service is unacceptable and they do not deserve a license in the state of CT.

lssue #1:

I’ll start with the most recent matter. My parents house was contracted to be sold and at the last

minute, the buyers reneged on the deal. I had previously disconnected service.

I called Frontier to re-install the telephone as I needed it for the security system. I scheduled an

appointment for the earliest possible date and made arrangements for a colleague to wait for

the Frontier Service installer to show up as I needed to be at work.

Despite receiving numerous texts from Frontier conflrming the appointment, no one from

Frontier ever showed up and no one from Frontier contacted me. I tried to call Frontier and

waited on hold for 35 minutes and finally gave up. To add insult to injury I paid the person to

wait for the Frontier service person as I was unable to be there.

I was so angry and frustrated I called Frontier to cancel the order. (Cancellation # 059988614).

Shortly thereafter, I received an invoice from Frontier for $116.37.

I called at least three times over the course of the next three months to request a credit as I

NEVER received service. Each time, I waited on hold for a very long time and was told that my

case would be referred to the dispute department. I was told I would hear from someone and I

never did. Finally, in January I called Frontier one last time and I was told that my request for a

credit was denied as they claim that they sent someone out to the house several days after my

original service date. No one was at the house, so there is no way that they could have entered

the house. Phone service was NEVER activated.

Two weeks ago, I received a letter from a collection agency. I called them and explained the

situation and stated that I have no intention of paying the $116.37.

lf anything, Frontier should pay me the $100 I paid my colleague to wait at the house for the

original appointment. Plus they should reimburse me for all of the time I have spent trying to

straighten out this matter.

Account # 203-387 -9 17 9-082419-5

Leslye Schaefer

420 Grove Beach Road North

Westbrook, CT.06498

For service at

40 Byron Place

New Haven, Ct 06515

lssue # 2:

When I originally cancelled my parents triple play service (phone, internet and TV), I looked

online (after waiting 40 minutes on hold for an operator) to find a location to return the Frontier

equipment. I went to the location on Orange street in New Haven, but it turns out the website

information was incorrect and it was not possible to return equipment at that location.

I called Frontier (and waited on hold a long time) and cancelled their service. Then I received

an invoice for the next month. Subsequently I called to say that my parents had passed away

and no one lived in the house, that the equipment had been disconnected and that I had called

a month earlier to disconnect (disconnect # 059451930). Frontier stated that I had to pay for the

next 30 days despite not having service. This seems completely unreasonable to me. My

parents were customers for many years and always paid on time.

I paid the invoice as I did not have the time or energy to argue.

Account # 203- 397-3596-0 507 17 -5

Edwin Schaefer

40 Byron Place

New Haven, Ct 06515

There is nothing to be done for issue #2, but I would appreciate your help on issue #1.

Frontier Communications does not deserve to have a service license. They are completely

incompetent, sloppy and disrepectful of consumers.

I request that you & the Cable TV Advisory Council revoke Frontier’s license.

Thank you in advance for your time and assistance.

Leslye Schaefer